The groundbreaking choreography of Manon by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, one of the 20th century’s most outstanding British choreographers, returns to the repertoire of the Hungarian National Ballet for six performances between 16 and 30 March 2025. The lead roles are performed in a triple cast by Maria Yakovleva and Louis Scrivener, Tatyjana Melnyik and Gergő Ármin Balázsi, as well as Aliya Tanykpayeva and Dmitry Timofeev. The Hungarian State Opera Orchestra is conducted by Gergely Kesselyák.
All is fair in love and war, as the saying goes, and the lovers Manon Lescaut and des Grieux in Antoine François Prévost's 18th-century novel are indeed ready for almost anything in their vulnerability: from theft, prostitution, and fraud to murder, they do not shy away from anything until the heroine meets her tragic end.
The novel by Abbé Prévost, published in 1731 and causing a great scandal, has captivated the imagination of both authors and audiences for centuries with its unusual choice of subject matter, authentic depiction of the period, sentimentality and immorality. The novel has been published in more than 250 editions, making it the absolute top book in French-language literature, and has also inspired dozens of stage and film adaptations. Kenneth MacMillan was nevertheless considered a game changer when, in 1974, classical ballet crystallized in the royal courts, bringing dubious characters and the demi-worldly audience of brothels to the stage with its sophisticated elegance and aesthetics. The artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London, together with composer-conductor Leighton Lucas, compiled the musical material for the piece using more than a dozen works by Jules Massenet, but it is interesting that the French composer's opera based on the novel is not among them. For the music, which has been performed by conductor Martin Yates since 2011, MacMillan has created a choreography that gives the soloists and the dancers the opportunity to showcase their technical skills and character skills through exciting figures. The central character, however, is the title character, Manon, whose fluctuations between financial security and true love further expand the possibilities of role interpretation for the soloists.
The ballet company of the Hungarian State Opera presents the piece for the first time since the restoration of the Opera House began in 2017, and it has been in the company's repertoire since 2015. As one of the three cast members, principal Maria Yakovleva and first soloist Louis Scrivener, this season's Étoile, are making their debuts as Manon and des Grieux, respectively. Yakovleva has previously gained extensive experience as a soloist at the Vienna State Ballet as Manon, one of her favourite characters. Principals Tatyjana Melnyik and Ármin Gergő Balázsi debuted together in the two lead roles in 2016. In contrast, principals Aliya Tanykpayeva and Dmitry Timofeev, who often appear on stage together and are also a couple in real life, were the in first cast of the 2015 Hungarian premiere. In addition, first soloist András Rónai, and corps de ballet Barbieri Raffaello will now make their debut as Lescaut, alongside soloist Iurii Kekalo, who has been performing the role since 2015. The performance has also been conducted since the beginning by conductor Gergely Kesselyák, who also made his debut as the conductor of the Puccini opera adaptation on Andrássy Avenue in January this year.
The audience of the Hungarian State Opera can see Manon six times in the 2024/25 season, on 16, 18, 20, 22, 29, and 30 March 2025.
Photo by Attila Nagy
